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Maine’s Attorney General is taking legal action against the Trump administration over a funding freeze that’s disrupting access to school meals and nutrition programs for children and vulnerable adults.
Attorney General Aaron Frey filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in Maine, targeting the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins. The lawsuit challenges the department’s decision to withhold funds due to Maine’s approach to transgender inclusion in school athletics.
Funding Withheld Over Transgender Student Policy
At the center of the dispute is Maine’s policy that permits transgender students to participate in sports that align with their gender identity. While Title IX doesn’t explicitly mention transgender individuals, the Trump administration has claimed the policy discriminates against cisgender girls.
“Under the banner of keeping children safe, the Trump administration is illegally withholding grant funds that go to keeping children fed,” Frey said in a statement on Monday.
Last Wednesday, Rollins notified Governor Janet Mills that certain federal funds for schools would be frozen. Though the letter claimed meal programs wouldn’t be impacted, the very next day, the Maine Department of Education’s Child Nutrition Program lost access to multiple federal funding sources.
Frey argued that the freeze was already harming critical services.
“This is just another example where no law or consequence appears to restrain the administration as it seeks capitulation to its lawlessness,” Frey said.
He continued, “The President and his cabinet secretaries do not make the law and they are not above the law, and this action is necessary to remind the President that Maine will not be bullied into violating the law.”
Frey’s complaint states that the USDA bypassed legal procedures required for altering congressionally approved funding. This includes holding a formal hearing and issuing a decision before halting funds.
To prevent further harm, Frey is also requesting a temporary restraining order to block the USDA from continuing the freeze while the case is under review.
Trans Student Rights at the Core of Federal Clash
This lawsuit follows rising tensions between President Donald Trump and Governor Mills, stemming from Maine’s support for transgender students’ rights.
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Education and Health and Human Services, concluded that Maine’s inclusive policies violate Title IX, citing sex-based discrimination protections. These policies are consistent with the Maine Human Rights Act.
The Department of Education has given the state until April 11 to come up with an acceptable resolution. If not, the matter could be escalated to the Department of Justice.
Though Frey’s lawsuit focuses solely on the legality of the funding freeze, he acknowledges that the broader Title IX debate may soon be addressed in court.
“Even if the State of Maine were in violation of Title IX (and, to be clear, it is not), there are statutory and regulatory requirements that the federal government must comply with before it may freeze federal funds owed to a state,” he wrote.
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